Cliff Robinson played for the New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets) from 2005 to 2007. During his time in New Jersey Cliff saw firsthand the harms of cannabis prohibition in the state, which is why he has joined the effort to bring legalization to New Jersey. Prohibition does not work. That is true in professional sports leagues as well as in society, and cannabis prohibition in New Jersey is no exception.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has been a champion for cannabis reform in Congress, and introduced a bill this week which would punish states that have cannabis laws in place that disproportionately impact minority communities. This is a bill that the Uncle Cliffy team endorses, and we encourage Uncle Cliffy fans to contact their Senators and urge them to support Mr. Booker’s bill.

We do feel that it is necessary to highlight, as veteran cannabis activist Tom Angell pointed out on Twitter, that Cory Booker’s own state of New Jersey would be penalized under the bill that Mr. Booker has introduced. So far Senator Booker has refrained from explicitly endorsing legalization in his state, which the Uncle Cliffy team feels is something that should change. Cliff Robinson and the Uncle Cliffy team would like to publicly urge Senator Booker to join the effort to end cannabis prohibition in New Jersey. Such a move would fall in line with Senator Booker’s views on reform at the federal level, and would provide a boost to the New Jersey legalization effort.

Cliff Robinson and the Uncle Cliffy team would like to thank Senator Booker for his ongoing efforts, and specifically his introduction of the ‘Marijuana Justice Act of 2017’ into Congress. More information about the bill can be found below, courtesy of a press release from the Minority Cannabis Business Association:

The ‘Marijuana Justice Act’ will reinvest $500 million in communities most impacted by the war on drugs by divesting in prisons and outdated law enforcement practices.

The bill ends the federal prohibition on marijuana, makes it easier to expunge past criminal charges, and stops deportations based solely on marijuana charges.

Washington, D.C – August 1, 2018 – The Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) announced its endorsement and full support for the ‘Marijuana Justice Act’, legislation introduced today by U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) that would end federal marijuana prohibition and reinvest in the communities most devastated by the war on drugs.

“This bill recognizes the consequences of the targeted war on drugs and outlines a plan to move our country forward by divesting in prisons and reinvesting in job training, reentry programs, legal clinics, public libraries and more.” Said Jesce Horton, cofounder and chairman of the Minority Cannabis Business Association. “We’re excited to support and endorse the “Marijuana Justice Act” and hope to keep seeing legislation like this at the state and local levels.”

“Ceasing the travesty that is the drug war, especially the disparate impact it has had on communities of color, has long needed a leader within our federal government to say enough is enough.” says Kayvan Khalatbari, Minority Cannabis Business Association Policy Chair and founder of Denver Relief Consulting. “I applaud Senator Booker for his determination in not just ending the war on drugs, but ensuring meaningful reinvestment in the lives and communities that have been decimated in its wake.”

“Ending federal marijuana prohibition would bring the law in line with the opinion of the growing majority of Americans who want states to be able to enact their own marijuana laws without harassment by the DEA.” said attorney Shaleen Title, a founding board member of the Minority Cannabis Business Association and founder of THC Staffing Group.

The Marijuana Justice Act would do the following:

Remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, ending federal prohibition of marijuana Cut federal funding for state law enforcement and prison construction if a state disproportionately arrests and/or incarcerates low-income individuals and/or people of color for marijuana offenses Allow entities to sue states that disproportionately arrest and/or incarcerate low-income individuals and/or people of color for marijuana offenses Prevent deportations of individuals for marijuana offenses Provide for a process of expungement for marijuana offenses at the federal level Provide for a process of resentencing for marijuana offenses at the federal level Create a “Community Reinvestment Fund” of $500m to invest in communities most impacted by the war on drugs, for programs such as job training, reentry, community centers, and more. Part of the funding will come from the aforementioned cuts to state law enforcement and prison construction.

In October of 2016 members of the Minority Cannabis Business Association held their first ever Policy Summit to draft a statewide model bill that would help guide lawmakers, advocates, and business owners in their pursuit to build a more racially just and equitable cannabis industry. You can find more information about MCBA’s model legislation on our website http://minoritycannabis.org/model-bill

About the Minority Cannabis Business Association

Founded in 2015, the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) is the first 501(c)(6) not for profit business league created to serve the specific needs of minority cannabis entrepreneurs, workers, and patients/consumers. The MCBA represents more than 700 minority owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and patients from across the United States. Its 12-member board of directors is comprised of a diverse group of medical and legal professionals, cannabis industry veterans, and social advocates from across the U.S. You can find more information about us at www.minoritycannabis.org.